Developed
On:
See PC Specs page |
Compatible with
openBVE v1.0, BVE v4.2 and v2.6
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Release Date: November 2008 (v1.31.02),
July 2008 (v1.31), August 2005 (v1.3), May 2004 (v1.2), May 2002 (v1.0)
Note: This route is currently being upgraded! Please visit the
Progress Updates section if you wish to keep
up-to-date with developments:
The Birmingham Cross-City South route for BVE recreates the busy commuter line between
Redditch and Birmingham New Street. The route was first released in May 2002 and
was a hit with the BVE community due to it's realistic graphics, catenary, sound
effects, variety of route variations, and the care with which the package was created.
The route was significantly updated to v1.2 a year later in May 2003 to take advantage
of the then new BVE v2.5's new capabilities, and the update added a host of new
features including fully authentic Cross-City and class 323 sounds, updated trackwork,
a new and advanced catenary system and increased use of photo-based textures.
The route was updated again to v1.3 in May 2005, to take advantage of the then new
BVE 4.2's capabilities, and the route now features further enhancements to the already
detailed catenary in the form of fully photo-realistic registration arms, cantilevers
and insulators, and full 3D masts, headspans and gantries. More photo-based textures
and lineside signs have been modelled, DirectX format objects are used which allow
lamp posts, headlights and signals to be properly illuminated, and these updates,
along with the new class 323 EMU developed by Steve Green, Simon Gathercole and
myself, now enable fully working AWS and TPWS to be simulated. Version 1.31, released
in July 2008, was a minor release which fixes some previously undetected bugs which
the new openBVE simulator detected, which is in the late beta stage at the time of writing.
Version 1.31 also sees the majority of Cross-City files re-released free from copyright
restrictions (some material needs to remain under copyright however).
As BVE v4 and the former BVE v2 are so different, the current Cross-City South release
features two sets of routes to drive - the new Cross-City South v1.3 routes featuring
all the updates mentioned on this page for use with BVE 4 where appropriate, and
a seperate set of legacy BVE 2.6 compatible routes but with a couple of new activities.
The Cross-City South routes for BVE v2.6 benefit from the new enhanced photo-realistic
catenary, updated platforms, new track textures, renewed pointwork at Longbridge
and Kings Norton in two new Spring 2005 activities, and updated lineside signs.
- Route length: 15.6 miles (25.1km)
- Line speeds: 10 to 90 mph
- Stations: Redditch, Alvechurch, Barnt
Green, Longbridge, Northfield, Kings Norton, Bournville, Selly Oak, University,
Five Ways, Birmingham New Street
- Journey time: Approx. 35 minutes
- Era: 2002 - 2005
- Traction: Class 323 25kV AC EMU (plus
bonus routes for classes 37 and 158)
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